Platform: Javascript

Nobody said the life of an aristocrat has to be dull... in Choice of Romance, the latest textrpg from Choice of Games, how you live your life is entirely up to you. You are the eldest daughter (or son) of a once wealthy and respected noble family whose fortune has begun to decline. But right now that's the last thing on your mind; you're about to come of age, and you are sent off to court for a Season with your aunt and uncle, both of whom have their own ideas about how you should direct your attentions. Perhaps you'll catch the eye of an unconventional kindred spirit. Maybe you'll make your mark on the world. Or perhaps you have more... royal... aspirations?

As with previous titles, Choice of Romance is played as part choose-your-own-adventure and part RPG. Events happen, and you select from a list of choices how you want to respond and react. Just make sure you think carefully, since everything you do has an effect on not only the story but the various attributes. You'll be given a chance to create your character and specify where you want to focus your skills. Will you be a bookworm who speaks your own mind with little care to what pops out of your mouth? Will you be the darling of the social world, charming everyone you meet and getting what you want with little effort? Whatever you do, keep your friends close... and your enemies in your sights.

Analysis: Despite following a certain story, the narrative affords you a lot of freedom. You're still only choosing a response or action from a set list, but they're generally varied enough to give you a sense of character development as you choose. The game even gives you the option early on in setting your preference for men or women regardless of your gender, which makes the game accessible and more immersive for everyone. For a game with the word "romance" right there in the title, it's nice to see one that is open to all types of love.

It's just unfortunate that it can be hard to really connect with the characters. Some are more fleshed out than others, and depending on who you choose to pursue, this can mean the whirlwind romance your character is supposed to be having can ring a little hollow. And depending on how you balance your skills, you could find yourself unable to really participate in the plot beyond picking a betrothed; intelligent or sly characters will see a lot more development beyond the boudoir, while playing someone a bit bobble-headed but well intentioned could see a potentiality unsatisfying and early end to the story. Thankfully, this does open the door to a good amount of replay value, which means you can spend a solid evening exploring the ins and outs of high society.

There is no "right way" to play Choice of Romance, but you'll get better results if you remember to play to your character's strengths; someone with a poor reputation, for example, probably isn't going to have a public speech go over well, and likewise having a beauty-over-brains hero try to wrap their head around military movements might have disastrous outcomes. While not quite as exciting as previous titles, more given to political and social intriguing than firebreathing or the buckling of swashes, Choice of Romance is still a fun engagement full of twists and turns, and with enough endings to keep you busy for a while. And who knows? If you play your cards right, you might find your story doesn't end here...

This looks interesting. Do gay relationships play out differently than straight relationships? Do a gay man and straight woman have different experiences? Or is it just really sanitized and not even acknowledge your sex?

For the most part, gay relationships play out the same as heterosexual ones. (Well, why wouldn't they, right?) The minor differences you might see would be, for an example,

if you're playing a lesbian character, you attract the attention of the queen, and the game treats her as the central royal figure rather than the king, making the society matriarchal and making the other potential suitors female incarnations as well.

Well, some of the differences I had in mind were:
*Gay relationships being unable to have biological children
*Gay characters facing social stigma, especially in a medieval society
*Gay and straight characters having a different pool of mates to choose from. Unless everybody in the world is bi.

If the game doesn't do any of that, then it missed out on some valuable storytelling opportunities.

While all those would have been important issues to tackle, keep in mind this is a fantasy medieval setting with a relatively light tone. So other characters are not only very accepting of whatever relationships you want to pursue, they see nothing wrong with it.

I agree having more differences might have made for a richer experience, but ultimately I'm just glad the option is there for the people who would want it. Personally, I think however it's incorporated, having a game where a lead character who IS gay is a step in the right direction.

I wish there were more options, considering this was supposed to focus on romance. As it was, none of the options seemed that intriguing to me, so I just kept declining. And declining. And declining. It seems that the king thought I was playing hard to get, whoops.

I also played a scholarly court schemer for want of excitement, impressing Vegas in the meantime. Eventually I also toppled the queen to become the new consort, but unfortunately I got the former queen executed in turn! Again, whoops.

Hopefully I'll be more of a Good Queen Jane than an Anne Boleyn with her bad end.

[Thanks for your comments, but please remember to keep anything that relates to any part of the story behind spoiler tags for good measure. Thank you! - Dora.]

I had the same experience as curiouser. None of the options seemed intriguing, so decline, decline, decline, and then end up with the queen anyway. I enjoyed their first two games, but this one felt more like the game was playing itself. But there may be other paths through the game that are more rewarding.

I am afraid I have to agree with blalien. Even though the game claims that want to be a fantasy, it choose to deal with a very very complicated real life issue so it departed from fantasy. Therefore, if one wants to take real life issues, one have to tackle the problems that arise from it, otherwise the story will just looks unnatural (what it a problem in a non-fantasy setting).

I have noted that Choice of Games' games take the issue about "gender equality" too far... To the point that it misinterpret the concept of equality.

Equality does not means that everybody has to think the same way, nor being the same way, nor having the same personality, nor having to do the same things etc. What it means is to have equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly.

There are a couple of differences between women and men, and being different does not means being better or worse. But these games insist that men and women MUST to do exactly the same thing, what leads then to appeal to several plot devices. To mention just a few, Choice of Romance had to invoke Deus ex Machina to make a gay couple have children, Choice of Broadsides had to use (or invent) a couple of strange titles to female crew that did not exist in that time (an anachronism in a game which described itself as happening on a certain historical period)...

It is natural that a story (either intentionally or not) shows traces of its author's points of view, but in the case of Choice of Games it has created some nonsense stuff that, at least for me, spoiled the game experience (I do know, and respect, that some people find these stuff as being the lasting appeal of Choice of Games, but I strongly disagree). I think that it would be better that all Choice of Games should happen on a 100% fantasy setting and leave political issues aside.

While I definitely see your point, I have to agree with what Choice of Games are doing. They are making the games more accessible to EVERYONE. Say you are a women playing this game and the game constantly referes to you as "HE". That would make immersion in the game harder if not impossible for you.

While I understand that it would be best to keep the differences and write the "other" versions of game in different tone and from different points of view with altered text and reactions etc, note that this would make it two times as much work (or even four considering sexual orientation). It would effectively be the same as writing TWO or FOUR different games.

As much as I would like this, I understand the choices the authors have made and until they can manage to get four times as many writers, I will be happier playing more "less complex" games as currently developed than one "mega complex" (in which I would initialy also discover only one fourth of gameplay content!)

I haven't played this one yet, but I have extremely affectionate memories of Choice of Broadsides because it allowed me to play as a woman, and treated me no differently because of it. I am a woman, and I place a high value on games that do not erase my identity. If Choice of Broadsides had been a different game, and kept women in the mold of that time period, it would have lost at least half of its appeal for me.

By the way, anachronisms are inevitable in historical fiction. If you don't like them, I'd suggest you stay away.

Indeed, this game was definitely a high-quality text adventure. With the 2 endings I've gotten so far,

the first one, I eloped with a lover, then second, gained the King's favor without, er, removing the Queen in any way,

I managed to get to a cliffhanger that boiled down to suggest a future episode. I really had gotten into the story by then, and wish that they at least have tied up that second ending as much as the first, but I guess I'll have to await their next masterpiece. This is a great game, given that I normally don't like social interactions as much as physics and math.

In response to the previous commentors' sentiments about the preferences available to the player, the big thing about being able to choose the PC's gender AND orientation, it's important to note that the game is a setting that, while mostly parallel to reality in the form that it seems based loosely on (I assume) medieval Spain, it underwent a different sociological evolution if you were able to correctly extrapolate a background for the game, so imposing any predispositions based on reality over how characters should respond to the PC's orientation would be as irrelevent as if those same sentiments were applied to hermaphroditic organisms.
In short, just because homosexual behavior among prominent figures could/would arouse controversy in reality doesn't mean it should in a fantasy world.

One thing I like about this game is that there's never a dialogue tree that doesn't have an affect on the game (other than the initial what's your name/how do you look stuff). One thing I think might be there, but I'm not sure: do the choices you make about what your personal goals are decide whether or not it's a "good end" or a "bad end"? For example, if you want twu wuv and excitement and marry Torres, it's obviously a bad end. But if you say you want financial security and a peaceful country life, is your character happy with the "marry Torres" ending?

What I would like is actually, more suitors! How about Vegas? Or more bits about your cute/annoying younger sibling(s)? Your aunt keeps saying how marrying an old and wealthy suitor will help the younger siblings, but you don't see them in the story much.

Just wondering, what was your magic stat, and what was your subtlety stat? Your rep stat? (Although you probably don't remember specifics, I'm sure you know what you picked as your skills at the beginning.)

I love these choice of games. This one was especially interesting because I had no idea what I wanted to do practically the entire them...

Turned out cool though:

I ended up marrying Torres - and enthusiastically - but I was scared of what would happen if I pissed the king off, so I ended up sleeping with him on a regular basis, and telling Torres about it. I quite liked my ending, thought it was an interesting story, though not entirely pleasant for my character.

I think that you never seem to find any of the suitors good conversationalists or actually go head over heels for them (which might be unlikely when its all arranged to be fair) takes a lot for the story. You start thinking that Mendosa's going to be the one but he ends up looking like a bit of a sleazebag that wants to charm you but isn't very interesting himself. So I declined them all and ended up with the King. It's good they all have flaws and it's not a clear cut "choose money or love" but all those flaws actually kind of push you away.

Perhaps you never find them fullfilling in character if you're intelligent? Or do you get the same if you're an airhead?

Even then I thought I'd be a spinster from not having beauty as one of my strengths (subtlety was my weakness) since the King was the only one left, but apparently that's what floats his boat =P

I think Choices wants to be a lighthearted game and so doesn't WANT to deal with sexism and homophobia, it just wants to make an alternate universe that is most suitable for you. They make it fantasy from the start from making you a mage.

That said, I played Broadsides as a man because it felt a bit strange playing as a woman on a ship full of women. Broadsides seems a slightly more difficult one because I imagine a ship full of women would be different to a ship full of men (not in a better or worse way, but a different way) ...I suppose this one's probably a bit awkward for same-sex situations because the particular period they chose wasn't open to it.

1) It would double the development work to write an equally engaging tale from the a different perspective.

2) These are fun, not social-experiment art games. Some people like to play as themselves. To take away the option for total immersion by not letting you select your gender and have the same experience would take that away from many gamers.

"The next several years are as trying as they are exhilarating. You experience true poverty for the first time, struggling to make your way together. But you also experience passion, adventure, and true love with a scintillating wife. Finally, though it takes her years to do so, de Mendosa does eventually realize her true potential. After years of hardship, you return to Orovilla as the husband of an influential and important woman. When your family sees your new success, and that you have sufficient power and wealth to take care of them, all is forgiven. Your life is never simple, but it is filled with joy."

I love these games, but I noticed a few typos in this one. I played with Mendoza as a man, but the game referred to him in a couple scenes as a she. Not a deal-breaker for my enjoyment of the game or anything, just mentioning it.

Homophobia and gender equality are issues in our world. There's no reason to expect (or demand) they be made an issue in a fantasy world, even one inspired by a historical period.

These problems are not inherent, they arose in our civilizations due to specific influences and developments, all of which could be completely different in a fictional world.

More game developers and story tellers need to embrace this style. I think it's fantastic to be able to play exactly what kind of character you want without dragging in ugly prejudices and hatred from our reality into a story.

I love this game, but all I could say has already been said. ON TO MY POINT.
Toward the beginning...I had encouraged all the suitors' affections, including the King. After he sent me fruit shaped like flowers(?), I noticed that the game said:
It is not so uncommon for a young lady or gentleman recently come to court to receive the attention of His Majesty the King. The King is known to frequently take lovers.
The odd thing about that is that it says LADY OR GENTLEMAN. I think we all know what THAT implies. So, yea. I have to go play now. :3

Oh my god, seriously guys, this game has MAGES. Why is it not hard to imagine a world with magic and impossible to imagine a world free of homophobia and/or with a matriarchal society?

In any case, I appreciated that I can have lesbian relationships in the game without anybody pointing out how "weird" it is, and I appreciate being able to play a woman who get to make the same decisions as the men. It's sort of an ideal world, in a way, because you aren't being judged in-game by your gender or orientation. I loved Choice of Broadsides for this reason too.

@Ryusui and Dave Lobo: Same ending here, and it was the one I wanted. I liked it. =)

I liked this game maybe even a bit more than the previous ones in the series, because it delved more into the characters than any sort of fantasy plotline. Those were good, too, but this is good in a different way. 5 shrooms!

I abandon the plan to spread a rumor about the king so that I can remove him and get the Queen. I don't actually remember my ending in the game. I should have chose the option to run away from my uncle and aunt and marry de Mendosa because that's the ending I want to have in the game

This was amazing. It took me a while to complete it, but it was fun. Can't wait for part two, jumped onto the mailing list.

I started off quietly, keeping my options open. Then I teased the Queen a bit until I was sure she would follow me. I helped avert a war, and still allowed me country to profit greatly from it. I continued to tease for a bit, catching the Queen's eye permanently and securing a little extra 'help' for my family. Then, I started up a conspiracy, and ended up getting the Kind executed. Now, I just have to keep my position as Queen Consort in the next part. Can't wait! ;)

At first I started trying to woo Don Gabriel, but he quickly sent my reputation spiraling downwards and I made the mistake of not telling him I was sleeping with the King. He broke off my engagement and to my dismay, sent my reputation into a full-blown kamikaze barrel roll! So I tried to win the King's affections further by charming him, but it didn't work, so he married some other girl and sent me to live in a grand house somewhere far away from him. So I ended my days as a stupid, yet charming, subtle and rich mage that everyone hated.

People keep on saying that it was impossible to reject the Queen, but I was able to do it. After rejecting her offer for just about everything, I finally got to rejecting her present that "was the color of my eyes." The game said she took that as a genuine rejection, and I was forced to leave the court, go back home, and marry someone old enough to be my grandmother. O_O

Oh, and I just killed the king without getting caught. It. Was. HARD. And yet it still basically played out the same as if the queen decided to kill the king consort. Anyone know of a way in which you can gain the crown and keep people from hating you?

Does anyone know when the new one comes out? I've been waiting for ages and I don't think I can last much longer!!! I got almost all of the endings (The exclusion being that I couldn't bring myself to marry Torres). Loved the game, especially seeing as I normally become bored with games featuring long pieces of text. 5 stars! :D

Ooh, think I got the most Machiavellian, heartless, ending - it's so me...

Married Torres, the fool who is totally forgiving, head over heels in love with me - totally accepting of the affair with the King (yes, I'm the mistress - think the Boleyn sister, what happen to the one who tried to behead the queen? Yeah, better to be a beloved mistress!) - and got promoted to general by reason of the affair

You finished the game with the following scores:

Booksmarts: 68

Charm: 80

Subtlety: 83

Magic: 36

Wealth: 81

Reputation: 59

Not too bad given that I started out as the

bimbo who never did any study but looked charming and could dance wonderfully

And then, to learn reading through manipulating people to get what I want...

Surprising still ended with pretty good booksmarts score

by taking a later interest in politics, and finally making myself indispensable to the king by being involved with politics...
With that very powerful De Vuis guy as ally!

Also, if anyone started out bad at magic and wants to improve in that a little, then:

when given the junk role, say "very well" (to be subtle and say your reputation), and then, decide to change into a more outstanding role (ie. option 3)

The lonely old spinster. I fell in love with de Mendosa, and planned to elope with him, but then caved in to the King's advances. Then I made the mistake of telling de Mendosa, and that was that. I ended up living in a little house on my own, exiled and all my family exiled, bringing poverty upon my family and making it even more difficult for my siblings to find suitors. Ah, the peaceful life...

Second ending:

The Queen Consort. I rejected them all at first, but when the King gave me the gift of a fine horse, I could not refuse. From there, it was a simple matter to get the Queen killed for treason (which wasn't my initial plan, I just wanted her out of the way, but whatever) and become the Queen Consort. With my password, ready to pick up where I left off in part two!

And my third ending, probably the most romantic:

I eloped with de Mendosa. Basically, I decided to make a dumb blonde character, who managed to at some point romance all three suitors, but settling finally on de Mendosa. Ironic, that the person I originally intended to have a wild but fairly unhappy life ended up with a wild life with a very happy ending.

I ended marrying de Mendosa, having poverty years on early years after marriage but de Mendosa found her true potentional and become success, and I become husband of influence and successful woman. and We live in peaceful life, with joy and happiness :D

I had influenced the king to kill the Queen and Juanita... *I'M SOO BAD X(* My reputation was down to 44 but when I tried to save Juanita it went up to 66, the King killed her anyways. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice of smiling at de Mendosa which caused my rep to decrease to 57 lol.

I'm "happily" married with the King and I can never bear a life mage child that can be the heir to the throne *sigh*. :D

I tried to kill the queen with poison but i got caught and my uncle betrayed me so they would show him mercy and kill me instead. But they killed him anyway lol I got executed too trying to get rid of the queen and so many people here were able to execute the queen and be queen themselves!! How did you do it can someone help (:

I'm very fond of this game but my main issue is I don't find the King to be at all a likeable character (well, it's obvious who he's based on) but you have to get into a relationship with him in order to play the sequels and then you're just trapped in it, there's no way to get out of the relationship again that doesn't end the game even if your character is unhappy.

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